What is your favorite double stroller?

[Jaimee]

So I had a BOB Duallie SUS jogging stroller for dd and ds, but now that #3 is coming along I don't foresee running with the kids much. So we sold off the duallie (we still have our single Ironman for jogging with one kiddo).  I think I would like to get a regular tandem double stroller that is less cumbersome than the side by side jogger was, though I would like it to still be pretty rugged for trail walking and I understand side by side strollers are easier to push.  I figure it would be mostly for the new baby and ds (who will be almost 2 by then) as dd (who will be close to 5 by then) can walk.  But for now and in the very beginning it would be for dd and ds since I'll probably wear the baby.  What do you all recommend?  A sit and stand?  A tandem or side to side?  What brands?

[Abraisme]

I have the Phil and Ted's Explorer Buggy stroller.  It has the option to turn it into a double, which is why I bought it for my DD.  I love how streamline the double stroller option is and it can be used as a single stroller too.  I do have the lime green color, which I do NOT recommend.  It gets dirty very easily.  If I did it again I'd buy black.

I had a Joovy Sit and Stand stroller when I was a Nanny.  I hated the thing!  It was very hard to turn and push.  I don't think that I'd ever buy a sit and stand again.

[Jaimee]

I saw some great reviews on Phil and Ted's, but they're so expensive!!  Did you have the Joovy Caboose?  It seems like it gets pretty good reviews, but it was awful?

[justamama]

The Joovy Caboose is awful. The Joovy Caboose ULTRALIGHT is amazing. The difference is incredible. We loved our Ultralight.

I liked the Phil and Ted's, and you can find them used on ebay, through the Yahoo! StrollerSwap group, and sometimes on Craigslist.

We have a Maxi-Cosi Foray, and I think we'll just keep that for dd3 (who will be 20 months when baby is born) and let the 4 and 6 year olds walk. If we go somewhere the 4 year old may need a break, we can get a buggy board. Though I am contemplating another Ultralight just for trips to the zoo, amusement parks, etc.

[Abraisme]

Yup, I had the Caboose.  It was really hard to push with two 2 year olds in it.  I only used it in an urban setting and it was still hard to deal with. 

I got my Phil and Ted's stroller on sale at REI for $300.  It was the same price as the Bob Revolution and the re-sale is just as good.  I'm sure they're available used these days as well.
 

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

I saw some great reviews on Phil and Ted's, but they're so expensive!!  Did you have the Joovy Caboose?  It seems like it gets pretty good reviews, but it was awful?

[Lula's Mom]

I have the Joovy Caboose Ultralight.  I've not had occasion to use strollers a lot, so spending $220 on it was a huge deal for me! But we got it for Disney World, and boy did we need it.  I thought we'd use it for my then-1 and 5 year olds.  It turns out the baby is not a stroller person either, so we carried him and pushed my friend's 5 year old and mine most of the time.  Sometimes my 8 year old needed to hitch a ride too! (Disney, Epcot, Animal Kingdom... it was an exhausting week.)  It drove fine even with the heavier kids in it.  I'm not sure how it would be on trails, hmmm.  Probably fine if you're not talking about anything too rugged.

And mine is lime green too! Yup, that color sure showed the dirt fast. 

[justamama]

For the lighter colors (we had the sage green Ultralight), it's a good idea to buy the scotchguard spray and treat it before using the stroller. Makes cleaning it up a lot easier. You can use a seat cover/receiving blanket on the actual seat if you're concerned about baby sitting on the treated fabric. I also kept an old towel or prefold in the back of the van/trunk to put between the wheels and the canopy of the stroller to prevent scuff marks there, since it was really common.

[Jaimee]

So what about side-by-side strollers?  Like the Combi or Jeep Wrangler Twin Sports?  Or the Maclaren twin triumph? 

[mamabelle]

Not exactly on topic, but this thread makes me want to ask all of you experienced double stroller mamas a question.  If my first will be 27 months when #2 arrives, am I crazy to think I won't need a double stroller?  We did a lot of baby wearing with #1 so he didn't really go in the stroller at all until after he was 1 and even then much preferred to be carried or worn, so I was hoping that we could get by with the single BOB we have.  Any thoughts or experience you have to share are welcome!  

[justamama]

Mamabelle- I wouldn't get one. DD2 will be almost 4 and dd3 will be 20 months when this baby is born. I'm sticking with my single, may consider a double for summer for rare amusement park trips...which is only because the baby and dd3 could be with my dad, MIL, or my mom and her DH....and none of them babywear. Otherwise, we won't use one. Even though I had a double for dd1 and dd2 (30m apart) we didn't use it enough to warrant it.

[KaliShanti]

I have a 4 yr old, 1.5 yr old, and the one due in Nov. I LOVE my Combi Twin Sport. Side by Side, fits through doorways, folds up small, VERy easy to push/use.

[Mal85]

We just got a Baby Trend Sit and Stand. I don't use a stroller a whole lot, so I was more concerned about the price than anything else. I just needed something that, on the rare occasion I use a stroller, would hold both of the kids. I've used it a few times since I got it with my daughter and a daycare kid and it's done the job so far. And the price was right, I picked it up on sale at Target for $120! It handles pretty much the same as the travel system stroller I had with DD, which was fine for us. 

[Abraisme]

I also doubt that you'll need one.  I have a fancy Phil and Ted's stroller and it's only been used about 10 times in 2 years (I'm really only using it now that I got pregnant and can't carry my toddler anymore).  I can't imagine that our new baby is going to spend any time in a stroller either.  I'd say wait and get one when you think you'll need it. 
 

Originally Posted by mamabelle 

Not exactly on topic, but this thread makes me want to ask all of you experienced double stroller mamas a question.  If my first will be 27 months when #2 arrives, am I crazy to think I won't need a double stroller?  We did a lot of baby wearing with #1 so he didn't really go in the stroller at all until after he was 1 and even then much preferred to be carried or worn, so I was hoping that we could get by with the single BOB we have.  Any thoughts or experience you have to share are welcome!  

[justamama]

Also, I didn't see that your current stroller is a BOB. I know plenty of people in the StrollerSwap group mention using the footwell occasionally for the older child if they get tired or baby needs to catch a ride once in a while. :) Just another possibility since you have that nice, deep footwell on your stroller!

[onetwoten]

I've used a Baby Jogger City Elite Double, and it fully convinced me to buy the single version. That thing freaking glides over rough terrain. It's not technically a 'jogging' stroller, but it's definately made for all terrain, and I jogged with it no problem, so it gives you an idea of maneuverability. It's a side by side, and it is definately a big stroller, but for me it seemed worth it for how easy it was to push. They are quite expensive though, but the weight limit is pretty high, and since you can lock the front wheel (or leave it on a pivot) you could use it for jogging ocassionally if you wanted too. It would be similiar quality to the Bob or the Phil and Teds, but I just prefer the features and the look/shape of the BJ so much. 

[Lula's Mom]

You  know, I said I hardly use a stroller- but today as we went for a walk on a local trail, I realized that I use one a lot!  We just don't call it that and I don't think of it that way, since it is also a bike trailer!  It fits 2 kids.  We call it The Pod.  I love this thing, especially for walks where there are lots of bugs, since it has a screen over the entire thing.  It has a big area in the back for carrying water and snacks.  The wheels are huge so it has no trouble going anywhere.  It does fold down in a somewhat complicated way to fit in the back of the car, if we are driving to a trail.

http://larryscycle.com/06trekdoodlebug.htm  The stroller handle and front wheel are a separate package; I think it runs about $100.  I'd look for one secondhand.  I got mine used from a thrift store for FIVE DOLLARS(!)

[meesh933]

I didn't get a double until my second was 8 months old, and only then because I half-heartedly started jogging again. I could totally have survived without it. I've considered getting another single stroller, even though we're having #3, because my oldest will be 4.5 and won't be riding much, and the middle kid will be almost 2, so a little big for me to wear both babies.

Originally Posted by mamabelle 

Not exactly on topic, but this thread makes me want to ask all of you experienced double stroller mamas a question.  If my first will be 27 months when #2 arrives, am I crazy to think I won't need a double stroller?  We did a lot of baby wearing with #1 so he didn't really go in the stroller at all until after he was 1 and even then much preferred to be carried or worn, so I was hoping that we could get by with the single BOB we have.  Any thoughts or experience you have to share are welcome!  

[Jaimee]

Hmmm... well my neighbor had an old Joovy Caboose that she just gave to me so I guess we'll use that for now.  It is super hard to turn when the older child is sitting instead of standing.  I posted on another parenting group too and everyone there agreed the Phil and Ted is the best.  So I'll go test drive a few at Babies R Us and see if it's worth spending money on a new one.